Flare gun



Aug. 22, 1944. J, R, SMITH 2,356,709

56 a o as 4 76 0 l -JL 117 -4- )5}.

Patented Aug. 22, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLARE GUN John R.Smith, Worcester, Mass., assignor to Harrington & Richardson ArmsCompany, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts ApplicationJuly 10, 1942, Serial N 0. 450,441

11 Claims.

This invention relates to flare guns or Very pistols, and the-objects ofthe invention include the provision of a more positively acting andcushioned firing mechanism, an improved barrel catch for abreech-loading barrel pivotally mounted on the frame of the gun, and animproved shell extractor means.

Further objects of the invention include the provision of a fool-proofbarrel catch which is always positive in its action and which isarranged to contact and hold a wide area of the barrel at the breech forimproved holding thereof during firing; the provision of a hoop-shapedbarrel catch which is p'voted at both ends on a pin extending throughthe frame and engages the entire top surface of the barrel, there beinga conveniently located thumb piece adjacent the pistol grip for pivotingthe catch out of barrel engagement for breaking the gun, said thumbpiece being provided with a spring for normally maintaining it inbarrel-catching position.

Still further objects of the invention include a new and improved barrelcatch stop which is effective to limit the pivotal action of the catchin both of its directions of movement for greater convenience and easeof operation, said stop comprising a fixed member having a V-shaped freeend, and said thumb-piece having surfaces selectively engageable withthe inside surfaces of the V, in spaced positions, for stopping thepivotal movement of the thumb-piece and its attached barrel catch inboth directions, this stop being completely out of the way of the restof the mechanism and located so as to present no interference of anykind to the hand of the operator.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the new flare pistol;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the barrel catch in barrellocking position;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the barrel catch in openposition; and

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the barrel catch.

Referring to Fig. l, the frame of the gun comprises a fore end Illhaving a longitudinal slot l2 for accommodating a depending lug l4 onbarrel l6 for swinging movement of the latter on a pivot pin l8. Atrigger guard 20 is mounted on the frame below the barrel and a gripsupport 22 extends rearwardly to accommodate the'grip 24. A screw or thelike 26 extends through the grip into the frame as shown for simple andeasy attachment thereof.

Frame II] is provided with an upwardly extending transversely arrangedelement 28 which is itself transversely apertured for reception of thefiring pm as at 30, and element 28 is formed with an upper arc-shapedsurface 32 and a pair of stops 34 at each end thereof for a purpose tobe described, see Fig. 4. A pin 36 extends through element 28 from sideto side of the gun and this pin provides a journal for bosses 38 whichare integral with the hoop shaped barrel catch 40.

The barrel It may be smooth bored and chambered to receive any usualflare shell. A swivel ring 42 may be secured to the barrel lug M or tothe grip as convenient, and the lug is provided with a slot 44 on an arehaving a center at the pivot pin l8. An extractor trip pin 46 is fixedto the fore end l0 and extends across its slot 12 through the arcuateslot 44 so that as the barrel is pivoted to breech-open position, pin 46will relatively ride in the'slot from front to rear.

An extractor stem or plunger 48 is mounted in barrel lug 14. for axialmovement therein, limited by a recess and pin device 50. This extractorstem has a cam-faced extractor head 52 located rearwardly of lug I4 andarranged in position to engage the shell. As the barrel is pivoted toopen position, the forward end of the extractor stem impinges on trippin 46, and the latter being fixed in the fore end, the extractor stemis clearly moved rearwardly relative to the barrel So as to extract theshell at the breech. The extractor head 52 is retracted by engagement ofits cam face with the forward surface of frame element 28 in theswinging of the barrel to breech-closed position.

An important aspect of the barrel resides in the provision at thebreechend thereof of a rearwardly extending arc-shaped lip or flange 54which seats on frame element top surface 32, the latter being shaped tofit the flange, see Fig. 4. The ends of this flange form abutments toengage stops 34 in breech-closed position, and in this way the barrelwill always be stopped in correct firing position. A stop 56 on the foreend l0 will stop the barrel in open position thereof as will be clear.

A thumb piece 58 is made integral with the barrel catch at one side ofthe frame for easy operation by the thumb of the right gun hand. A boreis provided in the thumb-piece from its front edge 59 for reception of aplunger 60 and a compression spring 62 normally urges the plungeroutwardly thereof. The frame element 28 is formed with a slot forreception of a stop element 64 which is apertured to receive pin 36 andthe stop element is thereby held fixed in its slot with a free endextending therefrom. The free end of stop element 64 is provided with aV-shaped recess providing a pair of angularly disposed stop surfaces 66and 68, and as will be clear from Figs. 2 and 3, the spring-pressedplunger 60 bears against surface 66 to normally maintain the barrelcatch 40 in its latching position as in Fig. 2. In this position, thethumb-piece bears directly against surface 68 and is stopped therebyagainst any further counter-clockwise movement. However, if it isdesired to break the gun, the thumbpiece is merely depressed in aclockwise manner until its front edge contacts surface 66, this ofcourse preventing any further movement of the thumb-piece in thisdirection, see Fig. 3. The flange 54 of the barrel is now free and thelatter may pivot about pin I8 to open the breech. To close the breech itis merely necessary to snap the barrel into position, the spring 62automatically pivoting the barrel catch to barrel latching position. Itwill be appreciated that this construction provides for very simplebarrel catch stops on a single element which is completely out of theway and cannot interfere with the operation of the gun.

Firing pin is mounted for a slight swinging movement on itssemi-circular head 10 located in the face of the hammer 12 which ispivoted on a hammer pin 14. A notch 16 is adapted to engage the triggerfinger 18 on trigger 80 to cook the hammer, and the gun is fired in anobvious manner by a slight pressure on the trigger. A main spring 82 ismounted on a guide rod 84 loosely slidable in a bore in the frame tourge the guide rod'tofiring position. The hammer is provided with acurved surface 85 for contact with a head 88-0n the guide rod, this headhaving a forward face curved to fit the surface 85, and thisconstruction provides a pair of horns 90, the upper one of which willmove the hammer to firing position and the lower horn will come intoplay only towards the end of the hammer stroke to cushion the blow andto spring the ham mer rearwardly so as to avoid any projection of thefiring pin forwardly of the front face of frame element 28. Thecomplementary curved surfaces on hammer and head 88- serve to maintainthe parts in idle position as shown in Fig. 1.

Having thus described my-inventionand the advantages thereof, I do notwish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than asset forth in the claims, butwhat I claim is:

1. In a gun, a frame, a generally cylindrical barrel pivoted to saidframe, a .barrel catch movalbly mounted on said frame and shaped to fitthe periphery of said barrel, said barrel catch engaging and latchingthe barrel in closed condition thereof, means for resilientlyurging thebarrel catch to its latching position, means for pivoting said barrelcatch out of engagement with said barrel to release it, and a singleelement providing a separate stop means for each of the latching andreleasing positions of said catch.

2. A gun as recited in claim I wherein said element is located in fixedposition on the frame.

3. A gun as recited in claim 1 wherein said stop means comprises twogenerally opposed surfaces, said surfaces being effective to contact andstop the motion of said catch to both positions.

4. A gun as recited in claim 1 wherein said barrel catch-pivoting meanscomprises a thumb piece integral therewith and said resiliently urgingmeans includes a plunger in said thumb piece and a spring for urging theplunger in one direction, said element being provided with a generallyV-shaped notch, said plunger bearing on one inside surface of the notchand the other inside surface being eifectiveto abut and stop the thumbpiece in its movement to barrel latching position. 5. In a gun having aframe and a pivoted barrel, a movable catch for the barrel, means toresiliently urge the catch to ibarrel latching position, means to movethe catch oppositely to free the barrel, and an element fixed to theframe and having a V-not-ch, said notch having a pair of surfacesadapted to contact and stop the motion of the catch to both positions.

6. In a gun having a frame and a barrel pivoted thereto, a catch forholding said barrel in closed condition, said catch being pivotallymounted on said frame and having a thumb piece for operation thereof,said thumbpiece having a plunger therein, a spring urging said plungeroutwardly thereof, a stop element for said thumb piece, said plungerbearing against a surface of said stop element to urge said thumbpieceand catch to barrel-latching position, said thumb piece beingstopped by said surface to limit pivoting of the thumb piece in adirection to free the barrel and against the action of the spring.

7. A gun as recited in claim 6 wherein another surface of the stopelement is effective to contact the thumb piece and stop it against theaction of the spring in barrel latching position of the catch.

8. In a gun having a frame and a barrel pivoted thereto, a breechelement on the frame, a pin extending through said element from side toside of the gun, a U-shaped barrel catch pivoted on said element at itsends, means forming a bore in a surface of said catch, a spring in thebore, a plunger in said bore and normally urged outwardly thereof by thespring, an element mounted on said pin and having a pair of angledsurfaces, said plunger bearing against one of said surfaces and servingto pivot the catch to barrel latching position, the other surfaceforming a stop to limit the movement of the catch in said position, saidone surface being effective to abut and limit the motion of the catch inthe other direction, and means on the frame for holding the element infixed position.

'9. A gun as recited in claim. 1 wherein said catch is pivoted to swingfrom and to the latching and releasing positions, and said stop meansembodies a'pair of generally opposed surfaces.

10. A gun as recited in claim 6 wherein said stop element embodies meansforming a notch, and said surface comprises a surface of the notch.

11. A gun as recited in claim 6 wherein said stop element embodies meansforming a notch, said surface being located in the notch, the latterhaving another surface effective to contact the thumb piece and stop thesame against the action of the spring in barrel latching position of thecatch.

J OHN. E. SMITH.

